


Happy Birthday

by ravebot



Category: Naruto
Genre: Fluff, IT'S GAY, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-10
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-20 14:32:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8252614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravebot/pseuds/ravebot
Summary: So Naruto's birthday is canonically October 10th, and so for some reason I felt like I should write a cheesy cliche fic in relation to that, so here it is.





	1. Chapter 1

The kitchen was a mess. There was flour and sugar everywhere. It would probably take hours to clean up. Temari walked in and cringed at the sight. But she couldn’t help but smile when she saw the intensity of Gaara’s face; the urgency of his motions across the room. 

  


“Do you need...help?” Temari asked, both concerned and amused. 

  


Gaara didn’t stop what he was doing. He didn’t even look up from the counter as he aggressively mixed ingredients together in a large bowl.

  


Based on the state of the room, Temari wondered if enough of the ingredients even made it into the recipe. 

  


“You know, I’ve actually baked a little before. Mom taught me, before she-” 

  


She cut herself off, concerned it might be too sensitive of a topic. But she relaxed once more after realizing that Gaara still hadn’t even heard her. She wondered if he even felt her presence in the room.

  


_ I’ve never seen him like this,  _ she thought.  _ I can’t believe he’s really going for it this time. _

  


From the front room, she heard the turning of a key and the opening of a door. Moments later, Kankurou walked into the kitchen and stood beside Temari. Unlike Temari, Kankurou had no inhibitions about poking fun at his younger brother. He immediately burst out laughing. 

  


“This sure is a mess!” he exclaimed. Temari scowled at him, but couldn’t help but crack a smile. 

  


_ It’s pretty funny, I can’t deny that much _ .

  


She felt a jab in her side and turned to see Kankurou smirking at her. “I know the secret to getting him to respond.” Temari rolled her eyes at him but was secretly enjoying his good natured humor.

  


“Hey Gaara,” Kankurou quipped, “I think Naruto will eat anything you make him, you know.”

  


Gaara froze, then slowly turned around to face his siblings, nervously playing with his hands. 

  


“Oh so you  _ can _ hear us,” Kankurou continued, grinning mischievously. 

  


“Oh sorry guys, I didn’t notice you were in here…”

  


Kankurou smiled, and Temari could see that it was a real, genuine one this time. “Aw seriously Gaara, you don’t have to try so hard for that kid. He’ll eat anything. And besides, he already loves you.”

  


“Wh-what are you saying all that for, brother, I’m just…” Gaara trailed off; he couldn’t collect his thoughts. Temari could see his face turning red as he tried to articulate his response. “I just want his birthday to be special.”

  


“Gaara, you’re so obvious. You don’t have to try and hide anything from us, we’re all family here.” Kankurou’s words seemed to ease Gaara’s anxiety just a little bit. 

  


“Yeah, if anything we’d like to help you out,” Temari added, hoping to quell her brother’s nerves.

  


“Ah, ok, well, I’m pretty much done here actually, just got to put it in the oven and hope for the best.” Gaara gestured towards the large bowl of cake batter. 

  


“That’s great,” Temari said with a smile.

  


“Yeah,” added Kankurou, “but the important thing is figuring out what you’re going to say when you bring this to him.”

  


Temari could feel Gaara tense up again as he closed the oven and set the timer. When he turned back to face them he was even redder than before.

  


Kankurou sat down at the square wooden table in the room and gestured towards one of the other chairs. “Come on brother, sit down and let your cool and experienced siblings help you out.”

  


Temari scoffed as Gaara tentatively sat down at the table. “Kankurou you don’t know a damn thing about relationships,” she laughed. 

  


“Sure I do!,” Kankurou said, looking offended. Gaara just looked more nervous than ever. That word ‘relationship;’ it seemed pretty daunting, and a good distance away from his reality.

  


Temari could sense Gaara’s discomfort. “Gaara, you don’t have to do anything in particular. Kankurou is right about one thing - Naruto loves you. Just tell him what you want to tell him. You two already spend so much time together; you have a certain kind of relationship right now, even if you don’t realize it.” She gently touched her brother’s hand. “Just be you!”

  


Gaara was flattered that his siblings were caring about his wellbeing this much, but he wasn’t sure he really understood what they were trying to say. 

  


Kankurou could read the confusion on his face. “Listen, Gaara, we both know how you feel, and- OW! Why’d you do that?”

  


“Stop it Kankurou,” Temari scolded. “Let him figure this out for himself. You don’t have to baby him.”

  


“How I...feel?,” Gaara questioned, his face growing red again. He rarely knew how he felt. Feelings were so difficult to process. He couldn’t even seem to interpret his own as well as other people could, and he was absolutely clueless about the feelings of others. He just wanted his friend’s 21st birthday to be special in some way. He wanted to give Naruto the world, but unfortunately he didn’t have that particular thing at his disposal. But he knew that cake was a thing people at on their birthdays, and as far as he knew, no one else had ever given Naruto a cake before. 

  


“I don’t really know how to express the feeling. I’ve been trying to get better at that, but it’s harder than it looks.”

  


“That’s just fine,” Temari encouraged. “Right Kankurou?”   
  


“Yeah uh, right!” Kankurou folded his hands on the table and leaned in closer to Gaara. Temari could never tell how serious he was being. “All you’ve gotta do is figure out what you start thinking about whenever I say ‘Naruto’ and catch you off guard like I just did. What goes through that head of yours, eh?” 

  


“You don’t have to answer that, Gaara.” Temari reminded him. She was a bit concerned this was just too overwhelming for him.  _ No, he’ll definitely figure it out at some point. He’s been doing so much better. _

  


Gaara smiled. It was a tiny smile but it was there all the same. Temari and Kankurou returned the gesture; it was impossible not to feel affection for their brother who had been through so much, and to such loving siblings, his smiles were a rare treat. 

  


“I think I sort of understand what you’re trying to say now. When I think about him I feel warm everywhere. I just feel better. Is that what you mean?”

  


“Only you can say for sure!” Kankurou said, grinning. 

  


_ He’s definitely interpreting this as a confession of love _ , Temari thought.  _ But I guess...he’s not really that far off base is he? _

  


The oven beeped, reminding them of just how long they had been sitting and having this heart to heart talk. 

  


“Do you need any help finishing the cake?”

  


“No I want to finish it myself, but thank you Temari. And Kankurou too. I appreciate your kindness.”

  


Kankurou threw his arm around Gaara’s shoulders. “Of course, anything for my favorite brother.”  

  


Temari ruffled his hair, a privilege she alone was permitted. “How many times have I told you, no need to be so formal with us!”

  
Gaara couldn’t find words to express his feelings, and Kankurou and Temari both understood him well enough to accept his silence as  a gesture of brotherly love and make their exit. 


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto was feeling even more restless than usual. He thought that he was going to spend his birthday the way he always did, eating a free bowl of ramen gifted to him once a year on this day. And then maybe buying himself a new video game and staying up all night to play it. That was pretty much standard birthday celebration procedure in the Uzumaki household, population 1. 

 

Somehow, even though he had come a long way from the lonesome child he once was, he still chose to spend his birthdays this way. His friends always offered to do something nice for him, but for some reason he always refused. As it was, Naruto could simply never imagine getting to enjoy the privilege of sharing a birthday surrounded by friends, and truthfully he was afraid to break the longstanding pattern of a birthday in solitude. He didn’t like to think he was superstitious, but maybe he was. 

 

_ Just a little _ , he thought to himself, frowning. 

 

But this year was different. This year Gaara had, surprisingly, demanded to get involved in the modest affair. They hadn’t ever been as close as they had become in the past year, and Naruto found he was never able to refuse Gaara’s requests. He just had this way about him that made you want to agree in earnest. 

 

_ Plus, wouldn’t it be nice to celebrate your birthday with the guy you’ve been head over heels for for months? _

 

“Augh, shut up brain, I can’t stay calm when you think like this!” Naruto pulled at his hair. He wondered if other people talked to themselves this much. 

 

_ Doubtful, because most other people haven’t spent as much time alone as you have. _

 

He sighed, and stared out the window. He had to try and relax. Everything was going to be okay. He couldn’t count how many times he and Gaara had spent an evening together like this. It wouldn’t be any different than usual. So why did it feel like such a big deal?

 

The doorbell rang and he nearly jumped out of his skin. “Coming!” he yelled. 

 

He flung the door open with too much force, using wild enthusiasm as a cover for his nerves, as usual. 

“Howdy Gaara, fancy seeing you here on the infamous day of my birth.” For some reason, Naruto greatly enjoyed dark humor about the eve of his birth, an anniversary most of the town would love to forget. 

 

Gaara smiled, and it was all Naruto could do not to throw his arms around his friend. That smile did so much to him, he could hardly stand it sometimes. 

 

“I...brought you a gift. It’s a small gift, but I didn’t want to come here empty-handed after I requested we spend the evening together.”

 

Naruto finally noticed the small box he was carrying.  _ Oh gosh...wow.  _ He didn’t know how to process his feelings. This was the first birthday gift he had ever received. 

 

“Well...come inside and I’ll open it,” he stammered.

 

“I promise you it’s nothing special,” Gaara retorted, taking off his shoes.

 

“Pfffft, please.” He excitedly took the box and gingerly sat down on his old, worn down couch. He ran his hands through his hair, one of his many nervous habits. He didn’t usually feel nervous around Gaara but this whole birthday thing was getting the best of his nerves. 

 

He opened the box with great care and saw the small, round cake inside. It was decorated with some pretty impressive piping, and it was chocolate. Naruto loved chocolate and Gaara knew it. 

 

“I told you it wasn’t much,” Gaara told him matter-of-factly. “But I thought it would be nice for you to have a real birthday for once, and I think celebrating a birthday must involve cake of some kind…” He trailed off, beginning to feel heat rising to his cheeks. 

 

Naruto was very quiet. Unusually quiet. Naruto typically filled every one of Gaara’s silences with animated chatter. The silence made Gaara more self-conscious. He shifted his weight from foot to foot.

 

“Gaara…” Naruto started to say something to him but all he could manage was one word before the tears started falling. 

 

_ Goddamn it, why do I always have to do this. _


	3. Chapter 3

Gaara felt like he was frozen in time. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t speak. He had seen Naruto cry before, and although he always felt panicked and was never quite sure how to respond, he usually found that Naruto calmed down if he sat with him, close enough to touch, and started talking about anything at all. It would take a couple of minutes, but Naruto would always wipe away his tears after that and thank him for…  _ for what, exactly?  _ Gaara was never sure. 

 

But this time was different. Naruto had never cried about anything Gaara did before. Gaara had no idea how to combat this situation if he himself was the cause. And his heart ached at the idea that he was the source for Naruto’s unhappiness. 

 

_ Do something. Something. You have to. _

 

Without thinking Gaara started moving again. He rushed to the couch and put his arms around Naruto. He didn’t understand how this awkward gesture might help but he had seen others do it and couldn’t come up with anything else. “I’m...sorry,” he whispered, almost inaudibly. 

 

Naruto stopped crying. He sniffed, and then laughed, to Gaara’s great surprise. 

 

“I, uh, I’m sorry heh… I didn’t mean to worry you with that outburst. I have such poor control over these things… I uh, I’m not sad Gaara. I’m happy. I’m very, very happy. That’s why I cried.”

 

Gaara’s eyes widened in confusion.  _ Happy. He’s happy?  _ “I...don’t…I... Does that mean you like the gift?”

 

“I love the gift!” Naruto beamed, and Gaara suddenly realized just how close they were. He released his arms and folded his hands together tightly in his lap, staring intently at the ground. His face was on fire and he didn’t want Naruto to see. 

 

Naruto shifted and stretched, but didn’t move away from Gaara. Their bodies were still close enough to be touching. Right now more than anything, he wanted Gaara to look at him. He wanted their eyes to meet. 

 

“I usually spend my birthday playing video games, heh, but I think tonight a movie would be better, yeah?”

 

Gaara nodded enthusiastically. A movie would be a great thing to focus on so he wouldn’t have to focus on how close Naruto was, how he could feel his body heat radiating off of him, how he was close enough to see the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

 

_ What is this? What are these feelings? Are these the feelings Temari and Kankuro want me to unpack? I feel so warm… is… is this it? Is this what I should tell him?  _

 

“Naruto, I-”

 

“No worries Gaara. I’m going to cut this cake for us and then we can watch ‘Spirited Away’.”

 

When Naruto went into the kitchen Gaara felt himself relax. 

 

_ Exhale.  _

 

_ It’s going to be okay. All you have to do is tell him what you’re thinking. Nothing else is different. You spend time together like this all the time. _

 

“Okay, I’ve got cake!” Naruto returned to the main room beaming, carrying two plates. He set them down on the short table in front of the couch. “Movie time!” he exclaimed excitedly. 

 

The heat was back. And it wasn’t just his face this time. Gaara could feel the warmth spreading throughout his body. Naruto was sitting close again, closer than either of them were used to. Gaara didn’t know how, but he could definitely feel the body heat radiating from Naruto’s legs, despite that his skin was covered by his thick pajama pants. This was the feeling. He had to express it now, before it was gone again. 

 

“Naruto, I-”

 

“What’s wrong, Gaara?” 

 

Naruto gingerly brought his hand toward Gaara’s, his fingertips resting cautiously there. The gentleness of the touch startled Gaara, and he looked up at Naruto in surprise. No one but his siblings ever touched him, and their touch wasn’t nearly as delicate. Naruto’s eyes were wide with concern. “Do you need something?”

 

Gaara swallowed nervously, and he could feel beads of sweat beginning to form in various inopportune places. But he couldn’t make himself look away from those eyes, bluer than he’d ever seen them. 

 

“Naruto...I just. I just wanted to tell you that, when I’m with you, I feel warm. I feel warmth all over, like a hug. I’ve been hugged...a couple of times before and that’s what it feels like. But a lot better. I feel better when I’m with you. You make me feel better. I just-” 

 

His mouth stopped moving at the same moment his heart stopped beating. He felt Naruto’s fingers move gently from his hand to his arm, as if they were tracing his body. He felt the fingers reaching out, and gripping his arm tightly. Naruto was staring at him, his eyes a way he’d never seen them before. Gaara still couldn’t look away. 

 

“N-Naruto?” All he could think to do was return the gesture. He too brought one hand to Naruto’s arm, letting it rest on his wrist. He felt some hair, but underneath that the skin was soft. He squeezed gently. He had definitely never gone out of his way to touch the body of another before.

 

“Come here,” Naruto whispered. His voice had a gentle quality gaara had never heard from him before. He silently obeyed, feeling himself being tugged even closer. Naruto shifted on the couch so that his entire body was facing Gaara. Gaara wordlessly followed suit. 

 

_ This is what I’m supposed to do right? If I just do what he’s doing that’s ok, right? _

 

Naruto took both of Gaara’s hands and squeezed them tightly. He didn’t let go. Gaara didn’t want him to let go, everything was so warm. He felt a little dizzy. He couldn’t think. They were close enough for their foreheads to touch. They were close enough to feel each other’s breath on their skin. 

 

Naruto was staring at him so intensely he didn’t know how many more breaths he would actually be able to take. His palms were sweating, did Naruto notice? 

 

“Do-do you like this Gaara? Do you want more of this? Do you want things to feel like this?”

 

Gaara noticed that Naruto’s face was almost as red as he felt his must be by now. 

 

“I don’t know what ‘this’ is, really, but I want...more of it. Naruto, I can feel your warmth. More now than ever. Those are my feelings. I don’t know what to make of them but I was told I should share them. A birthday seemed like a special enough occasion to do that.”

 

Naruto suddenly moved in closer, encouraged by Gaara’s response. Their noses touched, their eyes locked in what felt to Gaara like an eternal gaze. 

 

_ He’s so soft, and so warm. His eyes...I can’t look away. His lips I...I’ve never even noticed- _

 

Every thought swimming in Gaara’s head disappeared when Naruto’s hand brushed his chin and pulled him in so that their lips would touch. A kind of warmth he had never felt before made its way through his body. He felt as though he was floating; floating right towards the heat of the sun.

 

Naruto pulled away, suddenly realizing the weight of what he had done, and grinned sheepishly. 

 

“I love you, Gaara. I know you don’t understand exactly what this feeling means to you yet, but I want you to finally know how I feel. I, uh, I hope I wasn’t too….intense. I’ve thought about this moment a lot but...I, uh, I never thought it’d actually happen, and never in a million years did I know it would feel like this, uh.” He scratched his head nervously.

 

“I...I never knew that these types of feelings were possible. I don’t fully understand them yet, it’s true, but thank you… I’m glad I got to feel this way. Happy birthday Naruto, I hope I didn’t make things...uncomfortable.”

 

Naruto laughed heartily. “Gaara, this is definitely the best birthday. I’m glad you asked to spend this evening with me. I…. I’m glad I can never seem to say no to you.”

 

Gaara smiled, a bigger smile than Naruto had ever seen before. Neither of them spoke for a couple of minutes. Both of them had run out of ways to express their feelings.

 

“Heh okay, what do you say about this movie then?” Naruto finally said. He was still always the first to break a silence. 

 

“Yeah, that sounds nice.” Gaara smiled again. Tonight was a memorable one. He couldn’t wait to thank his siblings. 

 

The movie started and Gaara felt himself getting tired. He had never felt so much in such a short amount of time. He sighed sleepily, and within a few minutes he ended up sleeping lightly on Naruto’s shoulder. 

 

Naruto had never been happier to grow older.

  
  



End file.
